Norse Atlantic Airways shouldn’t have too much trouble presenting itself as the successor to Norwegian‘s now-defunct transatlantic services. The revitalized operation confirmed leases from AerCap for 787s previously operated in the same markets.
AerCap is excited to announce the signing of lease agreements for nine Boeing 787 aircraft with Norse Atlantic Airways. With its superior operating characteristics, the 787 is the perfect aircraft for Norse Atlantic Airways to launch a modern long-haul low-cost airline, and we are delighted to be supplying them with their first aircraft. We wish Norse Atlantic Airways every success and look forward to working with them as they roll out their plan in the years to come.
– Peter Anderson, Chief Commercial Officer of AerCap
The carrier plans to operate nine Dreamliner aircraft, three of the –8 variant and six of the larger –9 configuration.
Keeping the same interiors on board should be generally good news for travelers, while saving the lessor and the airline some cash as the carrier launches service.
While economy class was not a luxurious offering it did include a solid in-flight entertainment offering and in-seat power. The planes also recently saw in-flight internet service added. Whether Norse Atlantic chooses to keep the freemium model – or even activate the service at all – remains to be seen.
Rocky path towards service launch
The lease deliveries are slated for later this year, but service launch timing could prove a bit more tricky to nail down.
Norse Atlantic plans to run most of its operations from Ireland while formally basing the company in Norway. Just like Norwegian Air International, Norse Atlantic requires approval from the US Department of Transportation to serve US destinations. Last time around that approval process did not go smoothly.
US-based labor groups and others fought against the issuance of the permission, calling the decision to set up operations in Ireland a “flag of convenience” play to avoid more strict employment terms back home. The initial application filed in December 2013 gained final approval nearly three years later.
This time around US legislators are already calling on the administration to deny the application before it is even filed (it is not yet in the DOT’s dockets). Representative Peter DeFazio wants the DOT to “correct the error of 2016 and deny this airline’s application.”
Should the DOT spend three years debating the issue or simply deny the application quickly that will be bad news for Norse Atlantic’s outlook. And it’ll have a fleet of 787s with nowhere to fly.
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swoopest says
What are the political angles regarding this? I think I saw that one legislator opposing the new airline’s aproval was from Oregon, a state with (AFAIK) little connection to the Big 3 Airlines.
Seth Miller says
The politics of it comes down to US Labor Unions and, to a lesser extent, the US airlines in general. DeFazio, and the aforementioned groups, see this as a Norwegian airline trying to avoid labor rules in Norway and choosing a less protective scheme in Ireland. The crew were not really employees of the airline last time around but contractors to a staffing agency that then works for the airline. It is moderately shady, but legal.
The US carriers upset because revenues were impeded by the competition is a more “normal” type of debate.